High count fiber optic cables are well known in the art. For example, a typical outdoor cable may comprise several dozen fiber optic ribbons, each ribbon typically comprising up to twelve individual optical fibers, in a single cable. Such cables are particularly useful for communication equipment that terminates a large number of optical fibers, such as, for example, routers or switches used in a large-scale communication network. It is not unusual for multiple pieces of such communication equipment to be located in different buildings, thereby requiring connections between buildings. To this end, high count, outdoor fiber optic cables are typically used to connect such communication equipment together.
Given the environment in which they must perform, as well as the large number of fibers carried within, high count outdoor fiber optic cables typically include several structural strengthening members (e.g., plastic or metal wires or jackets capable of withstanding the tensional or pulling forces that may be applied to the cable) as well as several environmental protection layers (e.g., water-proof insulating layers). While the resulting cable is well suited for the environment in which it operates, the structural and environmental enhancements provided in outdoor cable make it relatively stiff. The stiffness of the outdoor cable, as a consequence, makes it difficult to work with when attempting to terminate the outdoor cable, and its constituent optical fibers, at the communication equipment.
Prior art solutions to the problems of terminating outdoor cables, while workable, have proven less than satisfactory. For example, when transitioning from outdoor cable to indoor connections, a typical solution is to use one or more splice boxes having outdoor cable on one side and indoor fiber optic cable and connectors/adapters on the other. While this solution is serviceable, it requires additional work for mounting and deploying the splice boxes and it is therefore relatively expensive to implement. Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide relatively inexpensive means for transitioning from outdoor fiber optic cables to more flexible, indoor cables that may be subsequently routed and terminated at the equipment of interest.